The civic administration will take another day to clear the city’s garbage. On Tuesday, a total of 1,500 metric tonnes of garbage was collected from across the city and sent to Urali Devachi. The waste is being dumped at a landfill site, which will then be covered in the ongoing capping project.
However, due to limited functioning of the processing plant at Urali Devachi, the civic administration admits that the problem is likely to persist. Civic officials said over 5,000 metric tonnes of garbage had been lifted so far.
Meanwhile, alarmed at the way the city’s garbage remained unlifted for over a week, doctors have cautioned that waste not properly managed can lead to serious health issues. Unattended waste attracts flies, rats, dogs and in turn spread disease.
“Normally, it is the wet waste that decomposes and releases a bad odour,” said Dr Avinash Bhondwe, former president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
“Unhygienic conditions can prevail if garbage is not disposed properly,” said Bhondwe, adding that several doctors from Urali Devachi (garbage dumping site) had seen a rise in the number of cases of asthma and other respiratory problems. Citing the plague outbreak in Surat, doctors said it was an example of a city suffering due to the callous attitude of the local body in maintaining cleanliness in the city.
Dr Sharad Agharkhedkar, head of the Department of Paediatrics at D Y Patil Medical College, said if the waste was not disposed for more than 48 hours the bacterial count would increase.
“Since it ferments, conditions are then favourable for the growth and survival of microbial pathogens. Noxious gases are also released, which are harmful. Landfill sites should be well lined and walled to ensure that there is no leakage into the nearby groundwater sources,” said Agharkhedkar.